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By In} Atforr zeygcmmid B -(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. L. WESER.

TONE REGULATOR FOR PIANO FORTES.

No. 455,505. Patented Dec. 22, 1891.

INVENTOR:

WITNESSES: QM ,1, 7PM

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

0. L. WEBER.

TONE REGULATOR FOR PIANO FORTES.

Patented Dec. 22

FIG.

FIG 5 A v H w INVENTOR:

By his At/orneys,

WITNESSES:

m, Model.) 4 SheetsSheet a.

G. L-. WESER. TONE REGULATOR FOR PIANO FORTES.

No. 465,505. Patented'Deo; 22', 1891..

l-NVENTOR:

WITNESSES:

m: mnmawuzns cm, mo-rmurmx, msmmm;

4 R E S m a TONE REGULATOR FOR PIANO FORTES.

v No; 455,505. Patented D55. 22, 1891.

INVENTQR:

WITNESSES:

By ms At/omeys,

vn: News PETEns co., mom-mm wAsmNurcN, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

CALVIN L. \Y ISER, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

TONE-REGULATOR FOR PIANO-FORTES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,505, dated December22, 1891.

Application filed February 26, 1890. Serial No. 3ll,878. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CALVIN L. WEBER, a citizen of the United States,residing in New York city, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tone-Regulators forPiano- Fortes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention provides improved means for the tone-regulation ofpiano-fortes designed to supersede the method of regulation by handmanipulation now employed.

The operation, which is technically known as tone-regulating, consistsin softening the felts on the hammer, the softening being carried togreater or less extent in the different hammers in order thereby tomodify the tone and to compensate for variations of tone due to othercauses. The felts on all the hammers are originally dense and hard, andbefore the operation of toneregulating the sounds emitted as they strikethe strings are harsh, hard, or wiry, and lack mellowness or musicalquality. The felts on all the hammers require softening in order toreduce this harshness of tone and render the notes sufficiently soft andmellow; but some hammers require to be softenedto greater extent thanthe neighboring ones in order to compensate for or concealirregularities of tone in the successive notes which are due to variousaccidental causes, such as varying densities of wood in thesounding-board, variations in the quality and weight of the strings, &c.As such accidental variations of tone are practically impossible ofcorrection otherwise, piano-makers customarily rely upon the operationof toneregulating, which is one of the final operations in theconstruction of the piano, to compensate for and thereby conceal theseinequalities of tone. The softening of the felts is accomplished bypricking them with needles, the needles being carried in a wooden handlewhich the workman holds in one hand and strikes repeatedly against thehammer, so that the needles enter the felt and force the fibers thereofapart, so as to loosen up and thereby soften the cushion of felt uponthe hammer. This hand tool is shown in side view in Fig. 7 of theaccompanying drawings. The operation of tone-regulating by the use ofsaid hand tool is one requiring considerable manual dexterity, and is aslow and tedious piece of work, requiring, if properly done and by anexperienced workman, usually about one days time. An expert workman cantone-regulate from six to eight pianos a week. In the manufacture ofcheap pianos less attention is paid to the niceties of toneregulationand the workman can do from fifteen to twenty a week.

My present invention provides an instrument for facilitating theoperation of toneregulating, and which is designed to be used in placeof regulation by hand, as has heretofore been practiced.

To this end my invention provides a toneregulating tool consisting ofahandle to be grasped by the operator and one or more needles projectingsufficiently from its end, with mechanism for reciprocating the needlesrelatively to the handle, so that they are rapidly and alternatelyprotruded and retracted. The handle being held firmly in the hand andbeing carried around the hammer without being itself moved toward andfrom the latter, as has heretofore been necessary, the needlesautomatically penetrate the felt in rapid succession. The operatordetermines the extent to which the felt shall be loosened or softened bythe time during which he holds the tool against the hammer, so that itsnecdles can penetrate it.

The work is thus performed more rapidly and with less fatigue on thepart of the operator, and requires less manual dexterity than the formermeans for accomplishing this purpose. Preferably the handle is providedwith a guide or guard, through which the needles work, and which in useis brought against the surface of the hammer to determine the extent anddirection of penetration of the needles. Preferably the reeiprocation ofthe needles is effected by power derived from a flexible shaft enteringthe handle at one end and communicating, through any suitable mechanicalmovement, alternate longitudinal reciprocation to a sliding bar or framewithin the handle, to which bar or frame the needles are fastened andfrom which they project in line with its direction of motion. The powerfor reciprocating the needles, however, may be communicated to the toolin many different ways as by electric, pneumatic, or other n1eansand anyone of numerous mechanical movements may be adopted for imparting theessential reciprocatory motion.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross-section ofan upright piano-forte act-ion, which has been turned down into positionfor tone-regulating. This view contains in elevation the preferred formof my improved tool, which is shown in full linesin one position and indotted lines swung over to another position. Fig. 2 is a similar view ona smaller scale, showing the means for connecting the regulating-tool toa powershaft through the medium of a flexible shaft. Fig. 3 is avertical mid-section of the tool viewed from the side. Fig. at is afront elevation of the tool, partly in vertical section. Fig. 5 is afragmentary front elevation of the lower part of the tool, showing it atwork upon the hammer, which latter is indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 6is a fragmentary side view of the lower part of the tool, showing thehammer in dotted lines. Fig. 7 is a similar View showing the action ofthe guard in limiting the extent of penetration of the needles. Figs. 8and 9 are elevations, respectively, of a base and treble hammer, Fig. 8showing, also, the ordinary hand-tool in two positions in full anddotted lines. The remaining views illustrate modifications of myinvention, whereof Fig. 10 is a vertical section showing a differentmethod of drivingtlle needles from a flexible shaft. Fig. 11 is asimilarview showing a means for driving the needles by compressed air.Fig. 12 is a similar section showing the driving of the needles by anelectromotor. Figs. 13 and 14 are respectively a side and frontelevation showing a tool having a modified means for guiding theneedles. Fig. 15 is a longitudinal mid-section of a further modificationof the tool. Fig. 16 is a side elevation on a small scale of anothermodification.

Referring to Fig. 1, let A designate the piano-action, which is shownonlyin part, abeing the hammer; b, thehammer-stem; c, the pivotal buttof the hammer-stem d, the hammer-rail to which the hammers are pivoted,and d the action-rail, which carries the cushion against which thehammers fallback after striking. The particular action here shown is anupright action, but is shown turned down horizontally in the position inwhich such actions are placed while performing the operation oftoneregulating.

B is the tone-regulating tool provided by my invention,'wl1ich isconnected by a flexible shaft 0 to the power-shaft D, as shown in Fig.2. Y 7

The tool B consists, essentially, of a handle 6, to be grasped by thehand of the operator, one or more needles f at the lower end of thehandle, mounted so as to be movable in and out, and any suitable orconvenient mechanism for imparting to the needle or needles a rapidreciprocating movement in the direction of their length. In additionpreferably a guard or guide 9 is provided at the lower end of thehandle, through which the needle or needles may work and which shalllimit the extent of their penetration and also to some extent itsdirection.

In the preferred construction of my improved tool, which is shown inFigs. 1 to 0, inclusive, there are four needles f, arranged in a row andextending longitudinally of the handle. They are clamped or otherwisefastened to a head It, fixed to the lower end of a slide E, whichextends longitudinally through the handle 6, or for any desired portionof the length thereof, and is guided therein, so that it is free toslide longitudinally. The flexible shaft 0 (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) isconnected at its end by any suitable coupling to a shaft F, mounted toturn in bearings within the upper portion of the handle. On this shaft Fis fixed a cam-cylinder G, in which is formed a cam-groove, and intothis groove projects a roller t' on the slide E. As the shaft F isrevolved from the shaft D through the flexible shaft 0, the rollert' iscaused by the sinuous contour of the camgroove to move rapidly up anddown, and it imparts thus a longitudinal movement to the slide E, andconsequently to the needles f. The head h and needles f are housed in asleeve II, which is adjustable up or down on the handle by means of aset-screw I. The lower end of the sleeve H carries a guide-plate g,formed with holes through which the needles may freely play. By settingthe sleeve H to a higher or lower position the needles may be caused toprotrude more or less beyond the guide-plate g.

The tool is used by grasping its handle in the hand, placing its lowerend with the guideplate g against the exterior of the felt on the hammer, and carrying the tool partially around the end of the hammer,keeping it approximately radial thereto, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Therapid protruding and retracting movement of the needles causes them topenetrate or prick into the felt and thereby to wedge its fibers apartand soften it. If it is desired to make the hammer softer in one placethan another, the tool will be held longer in contact with that portionof the hammer, so that the needles will make a greater number ofpenetrations than at the other portions thereof. The degree of softnessof the felt will depend entirely upon the number of penetrations, andhence the hammer may be reduced to any degree of softness desired bygraduating the duration of time that the tool is caused to act upon it.But little skill is required on the part of the operator to hold thehandle a radially of the center of the hammer, and this skill mayreadily be acquired without constructing the tool to aid in holdingitself thus radial; but to contribute as far as'possible to the accuracyof the work and render its quality as little dependent upon manualdexterity as possible I so construct the tool that it tends to retainalways a position with the needles radial of the hammer and withdrawsthe needles out of reach of the hammer before their angle therewith canbe changed to any considerable degree of divergence from a radialposition. This purpose is effected by the guide-plate g, the lower faceof which is rendered concave with a curve approximating the curve of thelargest of thehammer-headsthatis, those of the basshammers. When thetool is placed against the hammer, the latter partially enters thehollow or concave in the guide-plate, and this plate serves thus to keepthe lower end of the tool in proper relative position to the hammer.Should the tool slip or be incorrectly placed by an unskillful operator,it will assume the position shown in Fig. 7, Where the needle, even whenfully projected, is lifted, so that it is out of contact with or butpartly penetrates the felt, so that it is'impossiblc to incline the toolso that the needles shall depart sufliciently from perpendicularity tothe surface of the felt to do thelatteranyinjury.

The extent of penetration of the needles should be graduated inproportion to the thickness of the felt. Thus, for treble-hammers, thefelt of which is very thin, the needles should project very slightly,while for bass-hammers having thick felts the projection may beconsiderable. This is accomplished by setting the sleeve H in or out.for operating on the different sets of hammers of the action, or byhaving specially-adj usted tools for the bass and treble hammers.

My improved tool possesses important advantages over the means oftone-regulation as heretofore practiced by hand. The movement of theneedles is many times more rapid than it is possible to effect by movingthem by hand, so that the work of tone-regulation, which by the oldmethod takes about a day, can by my invention be done with equal care inabout two hours. The Workman, although requiring the same accurate earand good judgment as in the hand manipulation, does not require so muchmanual dexterity to use my tool as to use the old hand-tool. Theneedles, being free from lateral strain, may also be much finer with mytool than is practicable with the hand-tool, thereby pricking numerousfine holes in the felt, instead of comparatively few coarse holes. Theresult is that the felt is softened more uniformly and its texture isless weakened than when its fibers are drawn so widely apart as bytheforcing of'a thick needle between them. The softening effect is alsomore uniform, since more of the fibers are separated by prickingnumerous fine holes than by forming comparatively few coarse holes. Bythe use of my tool there is little if anyliability of injuring thehammer, whereas with the old tools the hammers are continually liable tobe injured by some accidental movement or slip of the tool. WVith theold tool there is also more or less prying movement of the needles inthe felt, due to inevitable irregularities in the movement of the hand.This is illustrated at the left hand of Fig. 8, where it is somewhatexaggerated. The hand-tool is shown in full lines in the position inwhich it is driven into the felt, and in dotted lines in the position inwhich it is drawn out, the needles thus being tilted within the felt, exerting a leverage therein which tends to displace and tear the fibers.Since in my improved tool the movement of the needles is in a rightline, they are bound to retreat in exactly the same line as that inwhich they entered the felt. It will be impossible to tilt the handle abetween the entering and retreating of the needles, since the movementof the latter is so rapid. Another and important advantage of myinvention is that the needles are caused to penetrate the felt in adirection always perpendicular, or very nearly so, to the externaloutline of the hammer.

In the use of the old hand-tool an unskillful workman will frequentlyinsert the tool somewhat in the manner indicated in dotted lines at M inFig. 8, so that the needles enter nearly parallel with the exterioroutline of the hammer. This tends to separate the fibers into layersparallel with the exterior outline, which impairs the hammer, impartingto it at the outset an apparent softness which is soon lost in use,since the direction of the blow against the strings is such as to matthe fibers together again and render the felt hard, whereas if thefibers are separated by pricking the felt in the direction of the blowthe fibers are separated laterally, and the felt retains its softnessfor a much longer period, since the blow against the strings has nodirect tendency to mat together fibers thus laterally separated. It isto accomplish this result of the separation of the fibers laterally thata skillful workman drives the needles into the felt in radial direction,or approximately so, the direction being always radial at the tip of thehammer where it strikes the strings. The same result is accomplished inmy invention by the use of the guard-plate g, by which even anunskillful workman is compelled to insert the needles in the samedirection or so closely approximate thereto as to produce the sameeffect.

Another advantage of my invention is that the tone regulating processinvolves less strain to the hammers and their stems, and theyconsequently require less strength. By the old hand process the hammerreceives at each penetration of the needles the full blow of the tooland the hand and the arm of the operator. In using my invention,however, no blow whatever is struck, the tool being simply carriedaround the hammerwhile its weight is sustained by the operators hand,and the penetration of the needles subjects the hammer to no appreciablestrain. For this reason the hammer may be lighter than heretofore, whichis of considerable advantage, especially in the case of treble-hammers.

In. Figs. 8 and 9, which show, respectively, a bass and treble hammer,the full lines x indicate the outline at present given to the woodenhead of the hammer, while the dotted lines y indicate the extent towhich the material of this head may be cut away in making hammers for anaction which is to be tone-regulated by the use of my invention. Thestems also may be lightened to a relative extent. To sum up, therefore,my invention not only cheapens the tone-regulatin g process andconsequently reduces the cost of the piano, but it improves theconstruction and tone of the piano, so that a piano regulated by the useof my instrument can be readily distinguished by its superiority of toneover air other like instrument regulated by hand in the old way, and theoriginal tone quality is more permanent in use.

The construction of tool which I have shown in Figs. 1 to 7 is one whichI have had in practical use and which I know to be an effectiveembodiment of my invention. The construction of the tool may, however,be materially modified without departing from what is essential to myinvention. For example, in place of the cam movement for impartingreciprocation to the slide E, carrying the needles, any otheri'nechanical movement by which the rotation of a shaft such as F may beconverted into reciprocatory motion can be adopted. One suchconstruction is shown in Fig. 10, where the shaft F, instead of beingarranged in line with the handle, projects perpendicularly therefrom andcarries a crank on its end Within the handle, which is connected by apitman j with the slide, E. This view also illustrates how the guide gmay be omitted. The needles f are here clamped directly in the lower endof the slide E, and the tool is unprovided with any guide whatever. Askillful operator will not need any guide to determine either the extentof penetration or the angle of penetration of the needles. If necessary,he might steady his hand by resting it on a bar placed in front of therow of hammers in the action or on any other suitable rest or support.

Numerous other methods of communicating power from an external source toa movable or portable tool are well known in the art, and any one ofthese may be substituted for the flexible shaft, which I have shown asapplied to my preferred construction. Instead of mechanical means forcommunicating the power, pneumatic, hydraulic, electrical, or any othersuitable means may be employed. Fig. 11 illustrates how pneumatic meansmay be used, a flexible tube 0 being employed to conduct compressed airfrom any suitable source to the tool into which it passes through acontracted nozzle 7; and is forced in a concentrated jet against thewings or vanes of a wheel Z, escaping finally at in. The wheel Z has acrank it, which connects through a pitman j with the slide E, carryingthe needles. A similar construction could be employed for hydraulictransmission of power, except that some means would have to be providedfor carrying off the spent water. Fig. 12 illustrates how the tool canbe driven by power communicated electrically, the circuit-wires enteringthrough a flexible cable 0 and connecting with the binding-posts of anelectro-motor K, the armature-shaft of which has a crank it, connectingby a pitman j with the slide E, which carries the needles.

Figs. 13 and 14: show a modification by means of which the tool may beguided to determine the direction and extent of penctration withoutusing the guide-plate g. The needles are unprovided with any guide, theconstruction being thus the same as in Fig. 10. The handle eis providedwith two springfingers p p on its opposite sides, projecting beyond thepoints of the needles and armed with spurs q q, projecting toward eachother. These fingers are adapted to extend on opposite sides of thehammer, and the spurs can be pressed by the fingers of the left handinto I contact with the wooden head of the hammer, slightly penetratingthe latter, as shown in full lines in Fig. 14:. The springs 19 are ofsuch length and the spurs (1 so placed in line with the needles that thespurs may enter at the center of the approximately circular portion ofthe head. The tool may then be carried around this center, being thusheld at all times with the needles radially thereof. The spring-arms pare fastened to a sleeve 1', which may be adjusted out or in relativelyto the handle e to regulate the depth of penetration of the needles.

Although, preferably, the needles are ar- I ranged longitudinally of thehandle 6, yet this is not essential. In Fig. 15 they are shown asarranged transversely thereof, being mounted on the end of a pivoted armE, pivoted within the handle at s and acted on by a cam or eccentric Gon a shaft F to press it in one direction and by a spring 6 to press itin the opposite direction. ROllGl'SlttbSGlVG in place of the guide-plateg. This construction is shown only to illustrate a possible modificationof my invention and not because it is deemed especially desirable.

Obviously my invention may be modified in many other respects in waysthat any ingenious mechanic can readily suggest.

Although I have described the portion 6 of the tool as being a handle,and although, preferably, this portion of the tool is to be constructedto be grasped by the hand of the operator, yet this construction is notessential, since this portion of the tool may be a mere frame forsupporting the working parts, and a separate handle may be provided,fixed or suitably connected to such frame. Such a construction is shownin Fig. 16, wherein the working parts of the tool are of the sameconstruction as in Figs. 1 to 6, and the portion 6 is merely a frameinclosin g them, a separate handle 6' being provided, the stem of whichis pivoted to the frame e by an adjustable joint a, having a thumb-nutor clamping-pivot by which the handle maybe turned to any desired IIOangle with the frame e. The handle might be united to the frame in manyother ways.

I am well aware that tools have been made involving a handle and astylus, punch, or cutting-blade mounted to reciprocate therein andalternately protrude from and recede into the handle. Many such toolsmay be mentioned-the duplicatingpen for pricking a succession of holesin a sheet of paper for duplicating writing, also dental pluggers,cloth-cutting tools, (be; but no tools of this character heretofore madeare applicable to the purpose of my invention, nor have they ever beenapplied thereto, and they are all essentially distinguished therefrom byreason of their inherent want of analogy in use or application to thepricking or opening of the felts of piano-forte hammers. I make no claimto any such known tools, nor to any tools not especially adapted forthat purpose.

I claim as my invention the following defined novel features orcombinations, substantially as hereinbefore specified, namely:

1. A tone-regulatin g tool consisting of a handle or frame, a needlecarried thereby, and means for alternately protruding and retract ingthe needle in rapid succession, the whole adapted for use substantiallyin the manner specified.

2. A tone-regulating tool consisting of a handle or frame, a slidemovable therein in the direction of its length, a needle or needlescarried by said slide and protruding beyond the handle, and means forimparting a rapid reciprocatory movement to said slide, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

3. A tone-regulating tool consisting of a handle or frame, a needlecarried thereby, an external source of power, a flexible connectorleading thence to said handle to communicate power thereto, and meanscarried by the handle and driven by said power for alternatelyprotruding and retracting the needle relatively to the handle in rapidsuccession, substantially as set forth.

4. A tone-regulating tool consisting of a handle or frame, a slidemovable therein in direction longitudinally thereof, a needle or needlescarried by said slide and protruding beyond the end of the handle, andme ans for imparting a rapid reciprocatory movement to said slide,substantially as set forth.

5. A tone-regulating tool consisting of a handle or frame, a needlecarried thereby, means for alternately protruding and retracting theneedle relatively to the handle, and a guide or guard for limiting theextent of penetration of the needle, substantially as set forth.

6. A tone-regulating tool consisting of a handle or frame, a needlecarried thereby, means for alternately protruding and retracting theneedle relatively to the handle, and a guide for determining thepenetration of the needle in direction approximately perpendicular tothe outline of the hammer, substantially as set forth.

7. A tone-regulating tool consisting of a handle or frame, a needleprojecting therefrom, means for alternately protruding and retractingthe needle relatively to the handle, and a guide-plate adjacent to theneedle, adapted to determine the extent of penetration thereof and tolimit the direction of penetration to approximate perpendicularity tothe outline of the hammer, substantially as set forth.

8. A tone-regulating tool consisting of a handle or frame, a needleprojecting therefrom, means for alternately protruding and retractingthe needle relatively to the handle, a guide for determining the extentof penetration of the needle, and an adjustable connection between saidguide and the handle,whereby the guide maybe set higher or lower toadjust the depth of penetration, substantially as set forth.

0. The combination of a handle c,a slide E, working therein, needles f,fastened to said slide at the end of the handle, a rotary shaft F,entering the handle, and a mechanical connection intervening betweensaid shaft and the slide, whereby the rotary movement of the shaftinduces reciprocatory movements of the slide, substantially as setforth.

10. The combination of a handle 6, a reciprocatory slide E, means forimparting reciprocatory movement to said slide, needles fastened to saidslide beyond the end of the handle, and a guide-plate g, through whichthe needles work, formed with a concave lower face, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

11. The combination of a handle e, reciprocatory slide E, means forimparting reciprocatory movement to said slide, needles f, fastened tosaid slide and projecting beyond the handle, a guide-plate g, throughwhich the needles pass, a sleeve II, carrying said guideplate, and anadjustable connection fastening said sleeve to the handle.

In-witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CALVIN Ii. \VESER.

Witnesses:

W. TAZEWELL Fox, FRANK L. IVING.

IIO

